Sports
Rory McIlroy encouraged by game heading into challenge at Riviera
February 15, 2026; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Rory McIlroy on the second hole during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images As a student of the game from an historical standpoint, five-time major champion Rory McIlroy has an appreciation for playing in a tournament like this week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
The event returns to its home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., after a one-year hiatus because of the fires there and the Los Angeles area. McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, was asked at a news conference why Riviera, established 100 years ago, has stood the test of time.
“I think the green complexes are a big part of it,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, we haven’t been here in a year, obviously, and I just, I don’t know why I was surprised but some of the movement and some of how much break you have to play on a lot of the putts out here, it just, I don’t know why I didn’t remember but it’s like wow, this is — so the greens provide a challenge in themselves.
“Then you get a little bit of wind and it starts to swirl in this valley a bit and it starts to play pretty tricky,” he continued.
The native of Northern Ireland knows something about playing in windy conditions. The course conditions could change, McIlroy asserted, if the tournament at the iconic golf club was moved to later in the year, possibly August, as part of widely discussed changes to the PGA Tour’s annual schedule.
“This week it doesn’t matter if you hit it in the fairway or not,” McIlroy said. “It’s actually a benefit sometimes if you do hit it in the rough because the ball’s not going to come spinning back on you.
“So if you do get it in August where the greens are firm, there’s more of a consideration of strategy off the tee especially, and it starts to make the guys think a little bit,” he continued. “It certainly becomes a much more strategic golf course in that way. … but even if you moved it a little bit later in the year there just to have the opportunity to have better weather and firmer conditions, that would be a good thing.”
McIlroy, 36, made his first start of the PGA Tour season last weekend at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He tied for 14th after rounds of 68-67-72-64 for 17-under par.
He felt like he shook off a little bit of rust.
“Felt like I learned quite a bit about my game last week, played well for a lot of it,” McIlroy said. “Obviously made some big numbers which kept me from being right in contention on Sunday, but I feel like there’s enough good in there to be encouraged going into this week.”
McIlroy has won 29 times on the PGA Tour, most recently the Masters Tournament last April to complete a career Grand Slam and end his 11-year major drought.
He returned to Augusta National Golf Club to do “some filming” for promotional purposes. He has plans next week to play a round with his father, Gerry, and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.
“It was cool to get up to the champions locker room and see my nameplate alongside the other two champions that I share a locker with,” McIlroy said of his first visit back to Augusta. “Yeah, it was somewhat nostalgic. I wouldn’t say it was emotional but definitely there was nice memories. Yeah, different feels the first time staying on site without having to need a member there. There’s a lot of perks you get with being a champion.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nikola Jokic's triple-double extends Nuggets' series with Wolves
Apr 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (21) drives to the net against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) as forward Cameron Johnson (23) and guard Jamal Murray (27) and guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) defend in the first quarter during game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Nikola Jokic recorded 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds as the host Denver Nuggets stayed alive with a 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of a first-round Western Conference playoff series on Monday.
Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Spencer Jones posted a playoff career-high 20 points and Cameron Johnson finished with 18 for third-seeded Denver, which had lost three straight following a Game 1 home victory.
Game 6 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Both teams had key players missing Monday night. Anthony Edwards (knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) were out for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, and Ayo Dosunmu and Mike Conley started in their absences.
Dosunmu had 18 points after pouring in 43 on Saturday the Timberwolves’ Game 4 victory.
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points and nine rebounds. Bones Hyland and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 apiece. Jaden McDaniels, loudly booed whenever he possessed the ball, added 13 points, and Naz Reid contributed 12 points for the Timberwolves, who committed 25 turnovers.
Jones made his second career playoff start in place of Aaron Gordon (calf).
The Nuggets built a 10-point lead in the first quarter, but Minnesota cut it to 34-33 early in the second. Denver closed the half on a 7-2 run to take a 60-51 lead into intermission, and then quickly expanded the advantage early in the third.
After the score was 63-54, Jones hit a trio of 3-pointers and a running dunk that made it 78-59 midway through the frame. The Timberwolves got within 82-67, but Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. converted three-point plays, Johnson hit from deep and Christian Braun dunked to make it 95-72.
It was 106-84 before Minnesota made a push. Randle hit a hook shot, Dosunmu had a steal and a layup and Hyland made a layup to cut the gap to 13. After Jokic sank two free throws, Randle converted a three-point play and Reid’s jumper got the Timberwolves within 10.
Braun drained a trey, Murray dunked and Jokic had a layup that resulted in a three-point play, making it an 18-point game with 3:33 to go, and Denver closed it out.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Knights pull level with Mammoth on Shea Theodore's OT goal
Apr 27, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) shoots and scores against Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70), center Alexander Kerfoot (15) and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Shea Theodore scored with 52 seconds remaining in overtime, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 5-4 win over the Utah Mammoth in Game 4 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Monday in Salt Lake City.
The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, as the Knights rebounded after losing the previous two games and squandering a 3-0 lead on Monday to fall behind 4-3. Game 5 is set for Wednesday in Las Vegas.
As double overtime approached, a broken play in front of the Utah net left goalie Karel Vejmelka without a stick. The puck was quickly moved in front to Theodore, and the defenseman buried the shot for the first playoff OT goal in his 11 NHL seasons.
Brett Howden had two goals and an assist for Vegas, and Jack Eichel had three assists. Noah Hanifin had two assists, and Cole Smith and Pavel Dorofeyev scored the other Vegas goals.
Carter Hart stopped 27 of 31 shots to earn his second win of the playoffs.
Mikhail Sergachev had three assists for the Mammoth, and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist. Clayton Keller, Ian Cole and Michael Carcone contributed Utah’s other goals.
Vejmelka stopped 31 of 36 shots.
Dorfeyev and Howden bookended the first period with their first goals of the playoffs, beginning with Dorfeyev’s tally just 1:12 into the game. During a Mammoth power play at the 18:38 mark, a Mitch Marner takeaway set up Howden for the short-handed goal.
At 3:26 of the second period, Smith slickly redirected Hanifin’s point shot to give Vegas a 3-0 lead.
Just when the Golden Knights seemed to be in full command, the Mammoth responded with two goals in 29 seconds.
Schmaltz started the comeback at the 8:04 mark of the middle frame by converting his own rebound. Cole then added the quick follow-up with a long-range shot that deflected off the post and into the Knights’ net.
Carcone scored the equalizer on a one-timer from the right circle 1:45 into the third period, and Keller gave Utah its first lead on a deflected goal 5:10 into the third frame. It was then the Knights’ turn to equalize on a Howden tip-in at the 10:25 mark.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kyle Tucker's walkoff single caps Dodgers' rally past Marlins
Apr 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby (1) hits a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Kyle Tucker delivered a game-ending two-run single in the bottom of the ninth as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 5-4 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday to open a three-game series.
Shohei Ohtani added a run-scoring ground-rule double in the ninth and scored the game-winning run as the Dodgers won their third consecutive game and six of their last seven home contests.
Teoscar Hernandez had a two-run single and four Los Angeles relievers held Miami scoreless over the final four innings. Jake Eder (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win.
Liam Hicks hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning for the Marlins while right-hander Pete Fairbanks (0-2) was charged with three runs in the ninth, while departing with an injury. Jakob Marsee had two hits for Miami.
The Dodgers opened the ninth inning with consecutive walks from Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing against Fairbanks. Miguel Rojas popped up a bunt attempt before Ohtani delivered an RBI ground-rule double to right to pull Los Angeles within 4-3.
After an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman loaded the bases, Fairbanks departed. Right-hander Tyler Phillips struck out Will Smith before Tucker hit an 0-1 splitter into center field for the game-winning runs.
Los Angeles got off to a fast start when Ohtani and Freeman opened the bottom of the first inning with consecutive singles. Hernandez came through with a two-out two-run single for the early lead.
The Marlins cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning when Dodgers shortstop Hyeseong Kim committed an error on a ground ball from Javier Sanoja that allowed Otto Lopez to score.
After Yamamoto walked both Marsee and Xavier Edwards in the fifth, Hicks hit a two-strike splitter for a three-run home run down the right-field line for a 4-2 lead.
The Dodgers threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with two outs against left-hander Andrew Nardi before Smith grounded out to second base to end the inning.
Ohtani had three hits for his second consecutive game after collecting just three total hits over his previous six contests.
–Field Level Media
Nikola Jokic's triple-double extends Nuggets' series with Wolves
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